VESTAL, N.Y. - After opening conference play with two narrow defeats, Binghamton women's soccer looks to get into the point column when the Bearcats (3-5-2, 0-2 America East) travel to Baltimore to face UMBC (5-5-1, 1-0-1 AE) Thursday night. The teams square off at 7 p.m. at Retriever Soccer Park.

Binghamton has followed a six-game pattern of loss-loss-win-win-loss-loss, giving optimism for a positive result Thursday night. The Bearcats face a Retrievers program they have beaten 17 of 21 times, including the last seven head-to-head. In the last three matchups, Binghamton has outscored UMBC by a combined 12-2 margin, including a 3-1 home win last September.

The Bearcats have dropped games to the other two top-three preseason picks (Maine, UNH) to open league play. Ahead are six games to climb the standings and put the team in position for a familiar postseason berth. 

Senior forward Hannah Mimas leads the team with five goals (3rd in AE), four assists (T-2nd) and 14 points (2nd). Sophomore midfielder Anna Buckwalter has three goals and two assists. Senior keeper Kaitlyn Williams owns a 1.17 goals against average (3rd in AE). 

UMBC is coming off a 2-1 road win over UMass Lowell on Sunday. That coupled with a scoreless home draw with UAlbany has the Retrievers unbeaten in conference play. Picked ninth in the preseason poll, UMBC has already surpassed its overall and conference win totals from last season. The team has eight different goal scorers so far this fall.